NSP Resource Exchange Weekly Bulletin

Submitted by monsp_admin on Tue, 09/07/2010 - 21:15

NSP Resource Exchange Weekly Bulletin

LATEST NSP NEWS

HUD announces the National First Look Program

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan this week announced an unprecedented agreement with the nation's top mortgage lenders to offer selected state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations a "first look" or right of first refusal to purchase foreclosed homes before making these properties available to private investors. Click to see the press release. The National First Look Program is a first-ever public-private partnership agreement between HUD and the National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST). In collaboration with national lenders and servicers, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, the First Look program is intended to give communities participating in NSP a brief exclusive opportunity to purchase bank-owned properties in certain neighborhoods so these homes can either be rehabilitated, rented, resold or demolished. Learn more about the National First Look Program and how it differs from the FHA First Look Sales Method here.

Action Plans and Quarterly Performance Reports (QPRs) that have been reviewed and approved by HUD are now posted to individual grantee pages on the NSP Resource Exchange. Note that these reports are updated on a quarterly basis. This quarter, QPRs for Q1 and Q2 2010 and all Action Plans were updated for NSP1 and NSP2 grantees. To find a grantee and view its reports, click here. If you are a grantee and find any inaccuracies on your grantee page, please let us know.

HUD issues guidance on NSP2 Environmental Review Intake Processing

HUD has issued guidance describing the procedures used by the Office of Block Grant Assistance (OBGA) for accepting requests from nonprofit NSP2 grantees and assigning their environmental review records (ERR) to technical assistance (TA) providers who will provide grantees with their comments and recommendations. The guidance also provides the limitations HUD places on the scope of TA Requests. These are in consideration of time limits TA Providers are given to complete their evaluations and recommendations in a timely manner, the level of effort required to complete quality TA Reviews within the context of these time limits, and consideration of unnecessary replication of environmental compliance documentation by grantees. View the guidance here.

NEW RESOURCES ON THE NSP RESOURCE EXCHANGE

EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule Website

The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule website provides RRP requirements and resources for NSP grantees and partners involved in the rehabilitation of pre-1978 housing. View the website here.

This resource provides guidance on incorporating green building techniques into single-family housing development or rehabilitation programs. This guide outlines eight green building categories that have been shown to be cost-effective in affordable housing: Integrated design; location and neighborhood fabric; site improvements; water conservation; energy efficiency; materials beneficial to the environment; healthy living environment; and operations and maintenance. View the resource here.

This webinar provided information on HUD's review and corrective actions related to the NSP1 18 month obligation deadline. The webinar also covered the documentation HUD will require from grantees that fail to meet the 18 month deadline. View the slides at the NSP Learning Center.

Do you have a resource that would be helpful to other NSP grantees? Submit your resource to

info@hudnsphelp.info. Examples of resources to submit include program policies and procedures, tools, checklists, templates, training material, and reports on innovative program design and best practices.

To download a PDF document of all FAQs available on the NSP Resource Exchange, please click here. FAQs are constantly being updated and new FAQs are regularly added. You should therefore check back often for new or updated FAQs.